The present disclosure relates in general to electrical system design, and in particular to techniques for facilitating the electrical design of an energy generation system.
In recent years, climate change concerns, federal/state initiatives, and other factors have driven a rapid rise in the installation of renewable energy generation systems (i.e., systems that generate energy using renewable resources such as solar, wind, hydropower, etc.) at residential and non-residential sites. Photovoltaic (PV) systems, in particular, have been very popular; in 2011, nearly two gigawatts of PV capacity were installed in the United States, and that number is expected to double in 2012. The majority of this PV capacity is “grid-connected”—in other words, tied to the utility-maintained electrical grid. This allows site loads to be serviced from the grid at times when the PV system cannot generate sufficient energy due to lack of sunlight (e.g., at night), while allowing energy to be fed back into the grid at times when PV energy production exceeds site loads (thereby resulting in, e.g., a credit on the site owner's electricity bill).
An important aspect of designing a grid-connected PV system is selecting the electrical components that enable the system to provide power to site loads or the utility grid, as well as defining the electrical connections between the components. Currently, this process is time-consuming and labor-intensive because it must be performed manually by individuals who are specifically trained and/or experienced in electrical system design. Accordingly, it would be desirable to automate the electrical design process so that it can be performed more quickly and efficiently, and without requiring substantial training or experience on the part of the designers.